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Title: The Biology of Belief: How Our Biology Biases Our Beliefs and Perceptions by Joseph Giovannoli, Dan A. Wilson, Thomas Giovannoli ISBN: 0-9708137-1-6 Publisher: Rosetta Press, Inc. Pub. Date: 29 January, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (4 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Impressed reader
Comment: This book was recommended by a friend, but after reading a review that described the author as a "gifted amateur" I must admit I had reservations. However, on reading the book I found that it explained the process of belief formation through an extraordinary synthesis of diverse knowledge disciplines. The author, apparently a generalist with encyclopedic comprehension, described how the human brain evolved and the significance of that evolution on the biological and social influences affecting how we form beliefs. I found the description of the evolution of life on earth, and specifically the events that directly influenced brain evolution to be enlightening. The book's use of historical examples of belief evolution and manipulation caused me to think twice about what I had been taught to believe. The current science-religion debates were given a neuro-historical perspective through a description of the parallel histories of both ways of thinking, beginning with Plato and Aristotle. The book posits that the brain's emotional limbic structures might account for the thinking of Plato and subsequent religious thinkers, while the frontal portion of the brain's neocortex might explain Aristotle's reasoned, more scientific approach to the world. In this regard, the book painfully reminded me of the injustices experienced by scientists and others in the name of religion. The rise of religious fundamentalism in our time might explain the author's concern about the possible negative influences of mythological belief systems on the future of humanity.
I have a special interest in the ongoing debate over Richard Dawkins' meme theory. The author's view that memes are an oversimplification of the method by which beliefs move from person to person was supported by a number of academics in a Scientific American article in Oct. of 2000. I found compelling the author's observation that meme theory falls short by failing to predict who will "be acquired" by a meme, and that meme theory fails to account for the capacity of thought and self-direction to intervene in the process of belief transmission from person to person. In short, I liked the book. It contained many original concepts and perspectives, was well documented and was very readable. I'm not surprised at the publisher's listing of universities in Europe and North America that use the book as a reference or text.
Rating: 3
Summary: Interesting but flawed
Comment: The author is a gifted amateur who raises a wide range of ideas, but has difficulty in tying them all together in a coherent thesis. The central concept is a variation of Richard Dawkin's idea of the meme, and how our core beliefs are passed from generation to generation without much critical thought.
There is not very much biology in this book, so I found the title rather misleading. Giovannoli does not lay a rigorous scientific foundation for his hypothesis, and he leaves the reader with many questions concerning the basis for his assertions.
That said, the book is often very entertaining with many tidbits of information from a wide range of disciplines. Anyone looking for a serious treatment of cognitive science and what it says about human capacity for belief is likely to be disappointed, as I was. If you are looking for a very personal discussion of mythology vs. science, you are likely to find this book most enjoyable.
Rating: 5
Summary: An enlightening view of myself.
Comment: There are very few books that can truly alter the way one views the world. The Biology of Belief is one of those very few. The author's comment, that the original motivation of the book was to see "why rational minds are capable of believing in myth" and "its capacity to alter our view of reality", took me on my own "journey". An understanding of the extent of brainwashing that exists in our culture was very enlightening. In fact, I can only describe my experience in the following manner: in borrowing the phase "I once was blind but now I see.." I think the book should be require reading at EVERY liberal arts university. The tough part would be supplying the professors to teach it!
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Title: The "God" Part of the Brain by Matthew Alper ISBN: 0966036700 Publisher: Rogue Pr Pub. Date: May, 2001 List Price(USD): $11.95 |
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Title: Religion Explained: The Evolutionary Origins of Religious Thought by Pascal Boyer ISBN: 0465006965 Publisher: Basic Books Pub. Date: 30 April, 2002 List Price(USD): $17.50 |
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Title: Why God Won't Go Away : Brain Science and the Biology of Belief by Eugene G. D'Aquili, Vince Rause, M.D. Andrew Newberg ISBN: 034544034X Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub. Date: 26 March, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: NeuroTheology: Brain, Science, Spirituality, Religious Experience by R. Joseph, Andrew Newberg, Matthew Alper, William James, Friederich Nietzsche, Eugene G. d'Aquili, Michael Persinger, Carol Albright ISBN: 0971644586 Publisher: University Press Pub. Date: 15 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $44.00 |
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Title: Darwin's Cathedral: Evolution, Religion, and the Nature of Society by David Sloan Wilson ISBN: 0226901351 Publisher: University of Chicago Press (Trd) Pub. Date: October, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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